Tim Burton is a famed director/producer who has created countless memorable films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice Through the Looking Glass. In his career, he is best known for his gothic stories which are perfect to watch now that autumn has begun and Halloween is coming up. Here’s a list of some of his best spooky movies to watch to help you get in the mood for fall.
Tim Burton is a famed director/producer who has created countless memorable films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice Through the Looking Glass. In his career, he is best known for his gothic stories which are perfect to watch now that autumn has begun and Halloween is coming up. Here’s a list of some of his best spooky movies to watch to help you get in the mood for fall.
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice came out in 1988 and became a popular Broadway performance in 2018/19. Upon dying in a car crash, a couple finds themselves attached to their home as ghosts, but soon they become the ones being haunted by the new family who moves in. The couple tries to scare the family away but instead attracts another spirit, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). The couple asks for his help to scare off the new family and in his attempt, Beetlejuice connects with the family’s daughter, Lydia (Winona Ryder), and the plan slowly fades into danger. Beetlejuice is available on Amazon Prime, Crave TV, Apple TV, or Google Play Movies.
Edward Scissorhands
This 1990 film stars two of Burton’s favourite actors; Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. Edward Scissorhands is a failed experiment by a scientist who was trying to make himself a loving son. The experiment failed due to the scientist dying and leaving Edward with scissors for hands (hence the name). Edward tries to integrate himself into society and gets taken in by a family where he falls in love with their daughter, Kim, and tries his hardest to show her affection. But no matter how hard Edward tries to fit into society, he will always seem like a social outcast. Edward Scissorhands is available on Disney+, Amazon Prime, Crave TV, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, or YouTube.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
This 1993 film is one of Burton’s highest-rated films, according to his IMBD page. We follow Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman and Chris Sarandon), the pumpkin king of Halloweentown, who becomes bored of repeating the same routine of scaring people during Halloween. So, he looks for another way to frighten the public and in doing so, stumbles across Christmastown. He immediately plots how he can take control of Christmastown, kidnaps Santa Clause, and gives the town a kind of scare they’ve never seen before. This movie is a wonderful blend of Halloween and Christmas, so it’s perfect to watch to get you in the spirit for both holidays. The Nightmare Before Christmas is available on Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, or YouTube.
Corpse Bride
Johnny Depp is back to play another one of Burton’s main characters, Victor, in this 2005 film. Despite being in love with his future bride, Victoria (Emily Watson), Victor gets nervous about their arranged marriage and retreats into a forest to calm his nerves. In that forest, Victor accidentally proposes to the deceased bride, Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), and gets sucked into the land of the dead. Desperate to return home before his true bride gets stolen, Victor has to figure out a way to leave Emily behind. Corpse Bride is available on Amazon Prime, Crave TV, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, or YouTube.
9
This underrated gem of a movie came out in 2009. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where the only life forms left are rag dolls and machines who are devoted to finding them. 9 (Elijah Wood), the youngest rag doll of them all, convinces the rest of the group that the only way to get past the machines is to fight them and discover what the machines want from them. With this plan in action, the group of dolls become the only hope to save civilization. 9 is available on Netflix, Apple TV, or Google Play Movies.
Frankenweenie
This 2012 film proves that a dog truly is a man’s best friend, especially in Victor’s (Charlie Tahan) case. Victor is a young boy who’s a social outcast and is left with his dog, Sparky, as his only friend. So when Sparky dies, Victor is truly heartbroken and wishes for his dog to come back to life. Luckily, his science teacher sparks some inspiration, giving Victor the idea of bringing Sparky back to life with electricity. The experiment works, but as happy as Victor is to be back with his best friend, some of Victor’s classmates discover what he has done. With the information to revive old pets, his classmates bring back more animals from the afterlife, which also brings dangerous consequences that may force Victor and Sparky apart again. Frankenweenie is available on Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, or YouTube.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
This is Burton’s most recent film which came out last month in September 2024 and is a sequel to his popular movie Beetlejuice. Winona Ryder returns as the adult version of Lydia and also features Jenna Ortega who plays her daughter, Astrid. Michael Keaton also makes a comeback as Beetlejuice and returns to the familiar family, thrilled to find a new person to haunt. Now Beetlejuice goes after rebellious teen Astrid who discovers a portal to the afterlife. With Beetlejuice’s name said three times, he can unleash the mayhem he’s been holding back for ages. Currently, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is only playing in theatres, so be sure to buy your ticket in advance and save some money for popcorn and a drink.
The next time you’re wondering what to watch during a movie night, feel free to choose any of these films and make your favourite pumpkin-flavoured treats to complete the fall feeling. If you’re not one to watch a movie but love to binge-watch a TV series, Burton’s Wednesday has been a hit on Netflix and the gloomy show is perfect for the fall season. The second season of the show is actively being filmed and is expected to come out in 2025, which means you could watch season one now so you’re ready to watch season two next fall!